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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS : October 1,2,3 & 4, 2019

Daily Current Affairs (October 1,2,3 & 4, 2019) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

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NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi to preside over valedictory function of Arogya Manthan in New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the valedictory function of Arogya Manthan in New Delhi a two-day event organized by the National Health Authority to mark the completion of one year of Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Mr Modi will launch a new mobile application of Ayushman Bharat and Ayushman Bharat Start-Up Grand Challenge and also release a commemorative stamp. Ayushman Bharath was launched on September 2018

The purpose of Arogya Manthan is to provide a platform to meet all important stakeholders of PM-JAY and discuss challenges faced in the implementation of the scheme in the past year.

It also aims to forge a new understanding and create pathways towards improving implementation.

KS Dhatwalia appointed PIB’s Principal DG

Senior Indian Information Service officer, KS Dhatwalia, has been appointed as the Principal Director General of Press Information Bureau.

Mr. Dhatwalia, who will succeed Sitanshu Kar, will be the 28th Principal Spokesperson of the government. He will continue to hold the additional charge of Director General, Indian Institute of Mass Communication.

KS Dhatwalia has worked in key positions in various Media Units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The Government has issued a notification regarding minimum stipend payable to trade apprentices.

Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey announced at the State Ministers’ Conference on Skill Development in New Delhi.

He said a minimum stipend will be given based on one’s qualification and it will be in the range of five thousand to nine thousand rupees per month from now onwards.

He further said that employers having four or more workers are eligible to engage apprentices. The minister stressed the need to create a new structure of Kaushal Vikas Mitra from State to village level.

The Supreme Court directed the Gujarat government to give 50 lakh rupees compensation, a job and accommodation of choice to rape victim Bilquis Bano, within two weeks.

She was gang-raped during the 2002 riots in the state, when she was five months pregnant.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, submitted that 50 lakh rupees were not provided in the victim compensation scheme of Gujarat.

The bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, disposed of the contempt plea of Bilquis Bano, alleging non-compliance of its order by the state and gave liberty to her to approach it in case of any difficulty.

PILs for those who are unable to come to court: Delhi HC

The Delhi Court said that a Public Interest Litigation, PIL, can be preferred for those who are unable to come to court.

The High Court made the observation while dismissing an NGO’s plea seeking disbursal of salaries to primary teachers of schools run by North and East Delhi municipal corporations.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said the teachers can always approach the court if their salaries have not been paid to them.

The Delhi High Court today refused to grant bail to former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media corruption case.

Justice Suresh Kait denied bail to the Congress leader, saying there is no chance of tampering with evidence but there is a possibility that Chidambaram can influence witnesses.

He was arrested from his residence in Delhi and is in Tihar Jail under judicial custody till October 3.

Kerala Tops Niti Aayog’s School Education Quality Index in List of 20 States, UP at the Bottom

Kerala has emerged on top among 20 large states in terms of quality of school education, followed by Rajasthan and Karnataka.

The report, titled ‘The Success of Our Schools-School Education Quality Index’ (SEQI) and jointly released by the Niti Aayog, Ministry of Human Resource Development and the World Bank.

While the most-populous Uttar Pradesh was ranked at the bottom position during 2016-17, according to a report released by the Niti Aayog.

The overall performance score for the large states ranged from 76.6 per cent for Kerala to 36.4 per cent for Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi-Meerut expressway to be ready in six months, says Nitin Gadkari

The 14-lane Delhi-Meerut Expressway will be ready in the next six months, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said while inaugurating the Dasna-Hapur section of the expressway.

The much awaited 82 km Delhi-Meerut Expressway will reduce the commuting between the two cities from four hours to 45 minutes, once completed and will also decongest Delhi.

As much as 8,346 crore is likely to be spent on the project, which was signed in March, 2016.

National e Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) signed an MoU with The National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal

National eGovernance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) & The National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal have signed an MoU at New Delhi to implement an ‘Online Capacity Building Programme on Cyber Law, Crime Investigation and Digital Forensics through NeGD Learning Management System (LMS)’.

The goal of this programme is to enable Police Officers, State Cyber Cells, Law Enforcement Agencies, Prosecutors and Judicial Officers to acquire the requisite skills to deal with Cyber Forensics cases efficiently & effectively as per the Indian Cyber Law while adopting global best practices, standards and guidelines.

Shri Rajnath Singh to give away Raksha Mantri Excellence Awards

Defence Accounts Department, one of the oldest Departments under Government of India, is going to celebrate its annual day on October 1.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will be Chief Guest at the celebrations, which will take place at Manekshaw Centre in Delhi Cantt. Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Naik will be the Guest of Honour.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP)-run Andhra Pradesh government announced that it will give a cash incentive of Rs.10,000 to car and auto drivers every year in the state.

The ‘YSR Vahana Mitra’ scheme will be launched on 4 October and self-employed auto and taxi drivers will be eligible under it.

The decision to start the scheme was based on chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s and “The motto of ‘YSR Vahana Mitra’ is that the amount could be useful for the drivers to repair, vehicle fitness, insurance expenses,”

Series of functions to start in UP to celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

A series of functions will start in Uttar Pradesh to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.

A non-stop two-day session of state assembly will also start which will discuss the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

On the eve of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior ministers will attend the special function in Lucknow.

The function will showcase the sculpture, portraits and an art exhibition on the theme of Mohan to Mahatma created by 151 child artists.

Vice President Calls for steps to make India a global sports superpower

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has called upon the Corporate, philanthropists and eminent sports personalities in India to supplement the efforts of the government in building sports infrastructure, especially in the northeastern region.

While Interacting with about 20 young boxers from Mary Kom’s Regional Boxing Foundation in Imphal, Manipur.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that his country has decided to invite Manmohan Singhto attend the inaugural ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims, who will only have to obtain a permit to visit the revered Kartarpur Sahib.

Pakistan is scheduled to open the Kartarpur Corridor for Indian Sikh pilgrims on November 9, days ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of first Sikh guru Baba Nanak on November 12.

Former French President Jacques Chirac gets full military honours

Former French President Jacques Chirac was given full military honours as current and past world leaders gathered in Paris to attend his final service.

They include Russian President Vladimir Putin, former US President Bill Clinton, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and Jordan’s King Abdallah II.

International Astronomical Union names asteroid after Pandit Jasraj

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has named an asteroid, discovered in 2006, after Indian classical singer Pandit Jasraj.

The asteroid, or more formally known as a minor planet, is located between Mars and Jupiter, and was discovered on November 11, 2006, by the Catalina Sky Survey, whose telescopes are based in Arizona in the United States.

Brahmos supersonic cruise missile featuring Indian propulsion system, airframe, power supply and other major indigenous components, was successfully test-fired.

“The missile was successfully test-fired at 10.20 am today from Chandipur in Odisha for its full range of 290-km during the launch jointly conducted by DRDO and BrahMos Aerospace,”

Celebrating Indigenous Languages: International Translation Day in 2019 the UN International Year of Indigenous Languages

Each year, translators, interpreters and terminologists celebrate International Translation Day on 30 September, the feast of St. Jerome.

International Translation Day is meant as an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of language professionals, which play an important role in bringing nations together.

In celebration of 2019, UN International Year of Indigenous Languages, this year’s theme is Translation and Indigenous Languages.

WORLD HEART DAY 2019

World Heart Day is observed every year on 29th September, this year too it was observed on Sunday, September 29.

The events are organized by the World Health Federation, to inform people about the Cardio Vascular Diseases and other heart ailments, which has been a leading cause for 17.9 million deaths across the globe.

The theme of 2019 is “My Heart, Your Heart”.

94th Military Nursing Service Raising Day to be celebrated on October 01, 2019.

The 94th Raising Day of the Military Nursing Service (MNS) to be celebrated on October 01, 2019.

Nursing officers will rededicate themselves to render high quality, selfless nursing care to their patients by reading the Florence Nightingale Pledge on the occasion.

The Chief of the Army Staff will be the chief guest at a function organized at Army Hospital (Referral & Research) to mark the Raising Day.

International Day of Older Person celebrated on1 October

The International Day of Older Persons is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society and raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges of ageing in today’s world.

Theme for 2019 is “The Journey to Age Equality”

Indian Army signs MoU with Bank of Baroda for banking services

Indian Army and Bank of Baroda, the 2nd largest Public Sector bank, have entered in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

This MoU lays down the basis on which banking services would be provided by Bank of Baroda to serving and retired personnel of the Indian Army.

The ceremony was chaired by Lieutenant General Ashwani Kumar, Adjutant General.

Some salient features of this MoU include Free Personal Accident Insurance (Death & Permanent Total Disability) cover of Rs 30 lakhs, Free Air Accident Insurance (AAI) cover of Rs 15 lakhs to Rs 50 lakhs and overdraft facility upto three times of monthly net salary. The features are also applicable for pensioners of Indian army upto the age of 70 yrs.

BANKING AND FINANCE

RBI announces contests to promote innovations, ideas in payment

Reserve Bank of India has announced two contests to promote innovations and ideas in the payment and settlement systems.

Shortlisted participants will get an opportunity to present their ideas before a jury of eminent persons while outstanding innovators will be awarded prizes and citations.

The contest will be organised through Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), Hyderabad.

RBI appoints Jai Bhagwan Bhoria as administrator for PMC Bank

The Reserve Bank of India has superseded the Board of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank Limited, Mumbai and appointed Jai Bhagwan Bhoria as the bank’s administrator with all powers of the board.

According to an official release, the amount of withdrawal from the bank allowed to depositors has been increased from one thousand to ten thousand rupees.

Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2019 -20

Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds.

The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be issued in six tranches from October 2019 to March 2020.

Addressing India Singapore hackathon in Chennai, he said, more than 8000 Indian companies are operating in Singapore and hundreds of thousands of skilled manpower from India are working in Singapore, contributing to the country’s economic growth.

SPORTS NEWS

Annu Rani qualifies for Javelin Throw Final at World Athletics C’ships

Annu Rani has become the first Indian to qualify for Women’s Javelin Throw Final at World Athletics Championships in Doha.

She smashed her own national record during the qualification round of the Championships with best attempt of 62.43 metres.

Annu Rani finished fifth in the qualifying round, a place above the current World Record holder Barbora Spotakova

Wilson Singh-Satish Kumar pair wins gold at Asian Age Group C’ships

In Swimming, India’s N Wilson Singh and Satish Kumar Prajapati produced impressive performances to win a gold medal in 10 metres platform synchronised event at the on-going 10th Asian Age Group Championships in Bengaluru.

Dina Asher-Smith became the first Britishwoman to win an individual sprint medal in World Athletics Championships 2019 held at Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar. She claimed silver in the 100m final with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce taking gold.

It is the 23-year-old’s first 100m global medal outdoors with the 200m to follow, where she is a strong contender for gold.

Jamaica’s Fraser-Pryce, 32, powered to 10.71 seconds in Doha for her eighth world title while Asher-Smith’s 10.83 is a new British record.

National news

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina arrives in New Delhi on four-day visit

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in New Delhi on a four day visit to India. She will be attending the India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum in Delhi.

This is the first visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after assuming office for the third consecutive term and in the second term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vande Bharat Express between Delhi and Katra flagged off; commercial run to start from Oct 5

Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off the Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express from the New Delhi Railway Station and said it was a “big gift” for Jammu and Kashmir’s development.

The high-speed train will bring down the travel time between Delhi and Katra, the last station on way to the Vaishno Devi temple, to 8 hours from the current twelve hours. The first commercial run of the train will be on 5th of this month and booking of tickets is now open on the IRCTC website.

The first Vande Bharat Express was stared between Delhi to Varanasi in February this year.

PM Modi gives clarion call to eradicate single-use plastic by 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon people to eradicate single-use plastic from the country by 2022.

Mr Modi said, plastic is a major threat to environment and we have to achieve the goal to eradicate single-use plastic from the country.

Prime Minister was speaking at a ‘Swachh Bharat Diwas’ programme in Ahmedabad on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

President Kovind to confer Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019

President Ram Nath Kovind will confer the Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019 on the eminent senior citizens and institutions in recognition of their services towards the cause of the elderly persons.

The award will be given a function in New Delhi. The Vayoshreshtha Samman is a Scheme of awards instituted by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry and gradually upgraded to the status of National Awards for institutions involved in rendering distinguished service for the cause of elderly persons.

These awards are presented as part of the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons on 1st October.

Sachin Tendulkar gets most effective Swachhata Ambassador award

President Ram Nath Kovind presented the most effective Swachchta Ambassador award to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Addressing the India Today Safaigiri Summit in New Delhi, he said, in the past five years, the sanitation drive launched in the country had truly become a mass movement.

NSA Doval meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman

Mr Doval is on a two-day visit to the Kingdom, a statement by the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said the two sides also reviewed the strong and fraternal ties, besides discussed exploring ways and means to further strengthen and consolidate the bilateral relations in several areas.

Saudi Arabia and India are set to establish a Strategic Partnership Council which will be co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Hardeep Singh Puri launches Swachhata Hi Seva India Plog Run

The objective was to spread awareness on the harmful effects of plastic waste and enlist citizens support to eliminate.

Governor gives assent to Jammu and Kashmir National Law University Bill

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has given assent to the Jammu and Kashmir National Law University Bill thereby paving way for the establishment of a National Law University in Jammu and Kashmir.

Enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir National Law University Act will pave way for setting up of a National Law University in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Directorate General of Income Tax (Investigation) is working 24*7 to curb the use of black money and cash inducement in the on-going Assembly Elections in the state, said Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), Shri Nitin Gupta in Mumbai.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai the Director General said that illegal cash worth 4 crore rupees approx. has been seized by the Department, since the declaration of Model Code of Conduct by the Election Commission of India, on September 21, 2019.

Thaawarchand Gehlot flags off ‘Walkthan’ for Senior Citizens to mark International Day of Older Persons

Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot flagged off a “Walkthan” for older persons and senior citizens to mark the International Day of Older Persons at Commonwealth Games Village Stadium, near Akshardham Mandir.

The Walkthan was organised by the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in collaboration with Confederation of Senior Citizens Association of Delhi.

The DIN system, which becomes operative from 1 October 2019, will apply to all kind of communications from the income tax department, whether it is related to assessment, appeals, investigation, penalty, and rectification among other things.

Nitin Gadkari launches cow dung soaps, bamboo bottles

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched soaps made of cow dung and bamboo water bottles manufactured by Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

The minister said he is a proponent of organic farming and its benefits at a function ahead of the Gandhi Jayanti.

CMFRI teams up with ISRO to collect field level data of wetlands

A mobile app has been developed to collect complete datasets on smaller wetlands across the coastal region of the country.

The app was developed by the Space Applications Centre of Indian Space Research Organisation on a request from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in line with a memorandum of understanding between them.

The mobile app is aimed to generate a centralised digital database of the smaller wetlands (2.2 ha or below) across the country.

10 lakh students of Lucknow simultaneously read books for 45 minutes.

In Uttar Pradesh, A unique initiative by Governor Anandiben Patel brought together around 10 lakh students to read literature of Gandhi to create a world record in Lucknow.

To set a new world record more than 10 lakh students from schools and colleges of Lucknow simultaneously read books for 45 minutes as part of ‘Padhe Lucknow, Badhe Lucknow’ campaign initiated by Governor Anandiben Patel.

International News

Palestine has released a commemorative postage stamp on Mahatma Gandhi, honouring his legacy and values, to mark the 150 birth anniversary of the world leader.

Palestinian Authority’s Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Ishaaq Seder released the stamp in Ramallah.

US stops imports of goods from five countries for suspected forced labour

The United States has announced that it is stopping imports from five countries for suspected forced labour.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) department said that it has ordered immediate detention of goods coming from companies based in Brazil, China, Malaysia, Congo, and Zimbabwe at US ports of entry for further investigation.

“Khadi Nepal” fashion show on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti held in Nepal

Gandhi Jayanti “Khadi Nepal” fashion show ensembling Khadi and handloom couture from India and Nepal was held in Kathmandu.

The programme was organised by the Embassy of India in association with South Asia Foundation as part of celebrating 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

APPOINTMENTS

P K Gupta appointed as Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of NBCC

As per the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), Government of India (GoI), P K Gupta has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NBCC(National Buildings Construction Corporation) Limited till September 30, 2023.

S. Mallikarjuna Rao was appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive of the Punjab National Bank (PNB).

S S Mallikarjuna Rao has been appointed the new Managing Director of Punjab National Bank, the country’s second largest public sector bank.

Rao, who was the Managing Director & CEO of Allahabad Bank, will be at the helm of PNB till September 18, 2021.

Economist Surjit S Bhalla appointed as Executive Director for India at IMF

Eminent economist Surjit S Bhalla was appointed as the Executive Director for India on the board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an official order said.

Bhalla (71) will succeed former RBI deputy governor Subir Gokarn, who died in the US on July 30 after a brief illness.

Gokarn, who died at the age of 59, was appointed as the executive director for India on the board of the IMF in November 2015. He was to complete his term in October.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the appointment of Bhalla for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders.

Kapil Dev resigns as BCCI Cricket Advisory Committee chief

World Cup-winning former India captain Kapil Dev is the latest to quit Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Cricket Advisory Committee.

Kapil Dev resigned as the chief of the CAC days after Shanta Rangaswamy stepped down from the 3-member committee.

Kapil did not reveal the reason for his resignation but wrote an email to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), informing them about his decision.

Govt launches app for filing consumer complaints

The government launched a mobile app to help consumers register complaints easily and get redressal within 60 days.

The complaints which are simple in nature will be resolved within 15 days, while complicated ones will be redressed in 60 days, it said.

The ‘Consumer App’ is available for free in two languages including English and Hindi. It can be downloaded on Android and iOS platforms.

SPORTS NEWS

The World Women’s Boxing Championship will begin at Ulan Ude in Russia

The best female boxers in the world will compete in the 11th edition of the championships, the most prestigious boxing titles in the word.

India will play with a ten-member squad comprising experienced and young boxers.

Plogging is a concept brings together fitness and cleanliness as participants pick up plastic and other waste from the road while jogging.

The run is being organised at over two thousand places all over the country including 225 places in the national capital.

World Championships: Avinash Sable qualifies for 3000m steeplechase final

In athletics, India’s Avinash Sable qualified for the finals of the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase under dramatic circumstances after bettering his own national record at the World Championships in Doha.

Avinash also became the first Indian man to qualify for a track event final.

India registers fourth win in Belgium tour, beats host 2-1

In Hockey, the Indian men’s team eked out a fighting 2-1 win over reigning World and European champions Belgium to register their fourth consecutive win of the tour in Antwerp, Belgium.

Govt launches portal for monitoring coal supply to power plants

The portal aims at bringing better coordination for coal supplies among all stakeholders.

This is an important step in ensuring adequate availability and optimum utilization of coal at thermal power plants. The portal is designed to help in mapping and monitoring entire coal supply chain for power plants.

Delhi Metro’s Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor to be opened for services

Delhi Metro’s Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor will be opened for service.

Over four kilometre long, the Grey Line will connect urban village area of Najafgarh to the rapid transit network.

The corridor consists of three stations Dwarka, Nangli and Najafgarh.

The corridor will be inaugurated by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

With the opening of this section, the Delhi Metro network will expand to 377 km with 274 stations including the Noida-Greater Noida Aqua Line.

Under Swachh Rail, Swacch Bharat cleanliness assessment 2019, Jaipur Junction has top the tally among 720 stations covered all over the country.

Jodhpur bagged second place where sub urban station of Jaipur Durgapura has been places third.

Assam govt says it will make state free from arsenic & fluoride in next 2 years

Assam government has said that it will make the state free from arsenic and fluoride in the next 2 years.

Public Health Engineering Minister Rihon Daimari said that some areas in 23 districts are affected by arsenic while fluoride found in some places of 12 districts.

The Minister has said that steps are being taken to make those areas free from arsenic and fluoride.

India Gets Its First-ever Floating Basketball Court In Mumbai

The National Basketball Association has brought the first-ever floating basketball court to India.

This was installed in the Arabian Sea near the Bandra-Worli Sealink accompanied by the NBA legend Jason Williams, some sports enthusiasts were seen enjoying the floating court.

The NBA India Games 2019 has been prepared to feature the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers, who will play two pre-season games on October 4 and 5 at the Dome, NSCI, SVP Stadium.

National Basketball Association:

Founded on: June 6, 1946

Countries: United States (29 teams), Canada (1 team)

Headquarters: New York City

Indian Oil builds a road to tackle plastic menace

Indian Oil Corporation built 850 metres of road using 16 metric tonnes of single-use plastic waste in bitumen concrete, and has invited ‘expression of interest’ from various parties and aggregators to consistently supply commercial quantities of such waste.

The move by Indian Oil aims to utilize single-use plastic waste.

About the road: For the construction of the road, around 16 million tonnes of waste plastic from single-use carry bags and packaging film waste were used.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi, Mauritian counterpart jointly inaugurate projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurated two landmark projects in Mauritius. These are Phase-1 of the Metro Express and a new ENT Hospital.

Mr Modi said, both these projects will serve the people of Mauritius and they are symbols of India’s strong commitment to the development of the Island nation.

North Korea says it successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile

North Korea had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defence, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States.

The new type of SLBM, called Pukguksong-3, was “fired in vertical mode” in the waters off the eastern city of Wonsan confirming an assessment by South Korea’s military that the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory.

US widens trade war with tariffs on Airbus planes, French cheese, Scotch whisky

The United States has said it would enact 10% tariffs on European-made Airbus planes and 25% duties on French wine, Scotch, Irish whiskies and cheese from across the continent as punishment for illegal EU aircraft subsidies.

The announcement came after the World Trade Organization gave Washington a green light to impose tariffs on 7.5 billion dollars worth of EU goods annually in the long-running case, a move that could ignite a tit-for-tat transatlantic trade war.

The US target list for EU tariffs, set to take effect on Oct. 18, includes large Airbus planes made in France, Britain, Germany and Spain for 10% tariffs.

Tenth edition of the Joint Military Exercise Ekuverin between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force will be organised from 07 to 20 October 2019 at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra.

The Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Forces have been conducting Exercise Ekuverinmeaning ‘Friends’ in the Dhivehi language since 2009. The 14 days Joint Exercise held alternatively in India and Maldives.

The focus of the exercise will be on sharing of best practices and acquainting each other with the operating procedures being followed while undertaking counter insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.

Ecuador to leave OPEC in 2020 due to fiscal problems – ministry

Ecuador will withdraw from the 14-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from January 1, 2020 because of fiscal problems, the country’s energy ministry said on Tuesday.

The Andean nation is attempting to increase its production of crude oil in a bid to raise more income and has on multiple occasions not compiled with the output quota fixed by OPEC.

The country will continue to support efforts to stabilize the world oil market, the ministry said in a statement.

Ecuador rejoined the organization in 2007, after withdrawing in 1992.

Indo-Mongolian Joint Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2019

14th edition of Indo – Mongolian joint military training, Exercise Nomadic Elephant-XIV, being conducted over a period of 14 days, will commence from 05 Oct 2019.

AGREEMENTS AND MOUS

Shri Rajnath Singh has called for an increased and active participation of the private sector in defence manufacturing to achieve the Government’s target of making the Indian defence industry worth $26 billion by 2025.

He was addressing the captains of industry at the 22nd India International Security Expo, 2019.

Shri Rajnath Singh reaffirmed the Government’s aim of inclusive growth and making India a $5 trillion economy by 2025, adding that the defence sector will play a pivotal role in achieving this goal.

India – Bangladesh Business forum meets in New Delhi

India and Bangladesh are not competitors but collaborators in making both countries prosperous and ensuring a better future for their people said the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal at the India – Bangladesh Business Forum held in New Delhi.

On this occasion two Governments to Business (G2B) MoUs were signed between Start up Bangladesh and Tech Mahindra and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and Adani Ports and SEZs.

The ‘Mo Sarkar’ or ‘My Government’ programme was launched by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patniak as he called a few citizens to seek feedback on the kind services they received.

The ‘Mo Sarkar’ programme, aimed at making governance people-centric, the programme was launched by the chief minister at Capital Hospital and later at Saheed Nagar police station when he released the official logo and charter of the programme.

“Mo Sarkar is an initiative under the 5T model of governance to herald a transformation in government offices.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with great fervour and spirit.

To honour this special occasion, MeitY observed week long activities themed as ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’, from September 23 – October 2, 2019.

The Hon’ble Minister inaugurated an Automated Real Time Performance Smart-board which has been developed by MeitY.

This Performance Smart-board is a single window access for Centre, State or District specific projects implemented by MeitY. It will provide real-time, dynamic analytical project monitoring for critical and high priority Programme/Schemes of MeitY.

In a bid to implement ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ across the country by June 1, 2020, the Centre kick-started inter-state portability of ration card between Telangana-Andhra Pradesh as well as Maharashtra-Gujarat.

This means beneficiaries living in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh can buy their quota of ration from the Public Distribution System (PDS), also called ration shops, in either of the state. Similar would be the case in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tripura at present are testing intra-portability of ration card, which means beneficiaries can lift their quota of ration from any PDS located within a state

The government is targeting to roll out ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ across the country by June 1, 2020.

BANKING AND BUSINESS ECONOMY

RBI cuts repo rate by 25 basis points

Reserve Bank of India has today cut the repo rate by 25 basis points, from 5.40% to 5.15%.

Reverse repo rate has been adjusted to 4.90% and bank rate at 5.40 %, accordingly.

Announcing its fourth bimonthly monetary policy for current fiscal, RBI has revised the GDP outlook for 2019-20 to 6.1%,from 6.9% in previous Monetary Policy committee meet.

For 2020-21, RBI has revised the GDP outlook to 7.2%.

RBI to announce bi-monthly monetary policy for current fiscal

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will announce its fourth bi-monthly policy for the current fiscal.

There is widespread expectation that RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) headed by Governor Shaktikanta Das will slash benchmark interest rate to give a fillip to the economy.

Two HDIL directors arrested in PMC Bank scam

The Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai police has arrested two directors of the Housing Development Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) for their alleged involvement in the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank scam.

Rakesh Wadhawan and his son Sarang Wadhawan, accused of loan default were arrested after detailed interrogation.

Properties worth 3,500 crore rupees of HDIL have also been frozen.

SBI, Bank of Baroda Limit Cash Withdrawals from Micro-ATMs of Other Banks

State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of Baroda (BoB) have limited the number of cash withdrawals for customers using micro-ATMs of other banks to just up to four times a month.

Micro ATMs are the handheld point of sale terminals used to disburse cash in remote locations where bank branches cannot reach. Through micro-ATMs, banks can remotely connect to their core banking system and help customers undertake basic financial transactions.

Bank of Baroda has modified its rules to allow customers to just do four transactions a month in case he/she uses the micro-ATM terminal of another bank, while SBI has limited it to just one. However, SBI account holders who are not part of the government’s direct benefit transfer scheme are allowed to do five such transactions a month

SBI:

Headquarters: Mumbai

Chairman: Rajnish Kumar

Tagline: The Banker to Every Indian; With you all the way; Pure Banking Nothing Else; The Nation banks on us.

BoB:

Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat

Tag line: India’s International Bank

CEO & MD: P S Jayakumar

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

England’s Ben Stokes wins Players’ Player of the Year at Professional Cricketers’ Association awards

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been voted Players’ Player of the Year at the Professional Cricketers’ Association awards

The 28-year-old then repeated his heroics with a superb match-winning 135 not out in the third Ashes Test against Australia.

SPORTS NEWS

Women’s Cricket: India defeat South Africa by 5 wickets in fifth T20

In women’s cricket, India defeated South Africa by five wickets in the fifth T20 International taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the six-match series.

Indian spinners Deepti Sharma (2 for 19) and Radha Yadav (3 for 23) bowled brilliantly and restricted South Africa to 98/8 in 20 overs. Chasing a modest target skipper Harmanpreet Kaur slammed 34 not out off 32 balls as the Women in Blue won in 17.1 overs.